Vaporizer



June 28, 1949. F, A BBTT VAPORIZER Filed NOV. l5, 1946 Patented June 28,1949 VAPORIZER Furman S'. Abbott, Montclair, N. J assigner to Airkem,Inc., New York, N. Y a corporation of New York Application November 13,1946, Serial No. 709,449

(Cl. 26l-98 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to vapori-zers and, more particularly, tosuch devices adapted to. convert. `forced or pumped liquid into vaporsto be diffused into or entrained in passing currents of gaseous medium.

A general object of the present invention is to provide such apparatuswhich is of simple and economical construction and which effectivelydiffuses or converts fed liquid, such esspurtsor pulses thereof, intovapors in a path for currents of gaseous medium, such as air, so thatthe latter may effectively entrain the vapors for purposes ofhumidifying the gaseous medium or air or effectively mixing therewithvapors of freshening, de odorizing, or disinfecting liquids, or thelike, while eliiciently assurngmaintenance in operative condition undertrying circumstances of use.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision of suchvaporizer apparatus which is characterized by means effectivelyprovid-ing for passage of gaseous medium or air therethrough along adefied path, spray means to break up fed liquid into mist or droplets inthe path and a porous mass in the path presenting extended surfaces tobe moistened by the droplets and thus effectively present the moisturefor transfer to currents of gaseous medium or air passing over theextended surfaces.

Another object of the presen-t invention is to provide a spray head forsuch vaporizerapparatus which is featured by a supply chamber foraecumulation and maintenance therein of a body or pool of liquideffectively to keepmoist Walls of tiny outlet passages efficiently tominimize or avoid clogging of the latter during intervals betweenintermittent supply.

A further object of the invention is the provision in such Vaporzerapparatus of associated spraying means and baing structure to` assureeconomical delivery of mist and/orA droplets of liquid to a porous massnhaving tortuous air passages therethrough dened extended surfacesadapted to be moistened by the mist and/er droplets for efficientcon-,versionv into vapors to be Other objects ofthe invention will inpart: be ob-l vious and will in part.A ampear."` hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction,combination of elements and arrangement of parts, which; wilt be enormv2 plified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope ofthe invention will be indicated in the claims.

For av fuller understanding ofthe nature and objects of the invention,reference should be had tothe following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational perspective of an embodiment of the vaporizerof the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevational perspectiveof the unit shown in Fig. l, withthe casing shown open and resting with a cartridge unit upon asupporting surface;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged top plan View, with par-ts broken away and insection, ofthe device shown in Figs. l and 2;

Fig. 4 is an elevational section taken substantially on. line 4 4, ofFig. 3, with parts broken away; v Fig. 5 is. an elevational section onan enlarged scale of spray head structure shown partly in elevation andpartly in section in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is an elevational perspective of an element of the spray headstructureshown in Fig. 5.

The embodiment of thevaporizer of the present invention, shown by way ofexample in the accompartying drawing, in which like numerals identifysimilar parts throughout, may be used to advantage n any field of usewhere it is desired to convert liquidfto vapors and entrain er diffusethe latter into passing currents of gaseous medium. That vaporizer unit42 is particularly adapted for use in air conditioning systems forconverting Water to Water Vapor for humidifying or diffusing vapors ofair-freshening liquid, or other liquid, into circulated air, and' issuited to installation in such a systemby attachment of its hood 43 tothe fan section. of the air conditioning equipment, or tov any othertype of means for forcibly circulating air. Of course it is. understoodthat provision may loe made for passing airv in either direction,

through the hood 43 sov long as there are thereby created currents ofair past a liquid delivery structure therein so that vapor from theliquid maybe picked up by the 'passing currents. The embodiment shown inFigs. 1 to 6, inclusive, is

particularlyadapted forA passage ofy air` currents into the hood orcasing 43 through louveredi openings 45-45 in the two side panels M3,`243'thereof and a hinged door 244, closing anY openingV 245 in frontpanel 246 thereof. The hoodv has a top l 2411 curvedat the front [tomerge with front. panel 246', a back panel 248 and a bottom 249'.

In the back panel 248 is preferably `provided an outlet opening 256 sothat air may be drawn therethrough to create currents up through thehood from the inlet louvered openings at 45-45 The hood 43 preferably isprovided with means for supporting a cartridge 25| of loosely packedmaterial therein for purposes of most effectively dispensing vapors intopassing air currents. For this purpose the hinged door 244 preferablysupports on the inside thereof a pair of clips 252, 252, each havinglaterally extending lugs 253 on which the bottom edge of cylindricalcartridge 25| is adapted to rest when snapped into position between thetwo clips. The cartridge 25| may comprise a cylindrical casing 254 inwhich is loosely packed a mass 255 of pieces of suitable material which,for example, may be wood excelsior. Casing 254 is in the form of a tubeopen at both ends to permit through passage of fluid,

such as currents of air, from end to end. The l hood 43 is internallyprovided with a laterally extending partition 256 below the outletopening 250 and that partition has therein a circular hole 251 withwhich the cylindrical casing 254 of cartridge 25| is to be substantiallyaxially aligned, when the latter is held in close proximity to thepartition, by clips 252, 252 with the door 244 closed, as is indicatedby dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 4. If desired, a damper may be installedbetween air inlet louvers 45-45 and outlet hole 250 to control flow ofair through the hood 43.

The vaporizer hood 43 is suitably equipped with a dispensing nozzle orspray head unit 258 which, as will be seen from Figs` 3 to 6, inclusive,preferably comprises a cylindrical cup-shaped member 259 having a bottom266 which is apertured to receive therethrough a headed bolt 26| havingits upper end projecting through a hole in a cover plate 262 and asupporting bracket 263 with a nut 264 holding the parts together and onthe supporting bracket. The supporting bracket 263 may be a transverselyextending strap, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, having its end secured tothe side walls 243, 243 of the hood. A cylindrical shield or spatterring 265 is supported in any suitable manner about the spray head 259and may, for this purpose, have diametrically opposed slots with lips266-266 bent outwardly therefrom and spot-welded to the underside ofsupporting strap 263.

The cup-shaped head 259 and cover plate 262 together provide a chamber261 with which communicates an inlet conduit 44 threadably received in ahole in the side of the head and with that conduit extending through ahole 268 in the side of the shield or splatter ring 265. The upper edge26S of spray head 259 is preferably provided with a plurality ofradially extending grooves 210--210 so that, when the cover plate 262 isseated against the top edge, the grooves provide desirable small outletpassages to break up into a spray liquid which passes out therethroughfrom chamber 261 when delivered to the latter under pressure by inletconduit 44. The spray emitting from passages provided by grooves 216-210preferably is diverted downwardly by the turned down edge 21| of coverplate 262, whereby the latter serves as a baille to assure impingementof the sprays somewhat medially of the inner wall of shield or ring 265and down toward the cartridge 25| therebeneath.

In operation of the vaporizing unit 42 pulses or spurts of liquid may bedelivered by any suitable pumping means through inlet conduit 44 tothe'chamber 261. The liquid under pressure in the latter will bedelivered as a plurality of sprays through passages provided by grooves216-216 to be diverted downwardly by the turned down edge 21| of baillecover plate 262. The provision of the chamber 261 assures the build-upand maintenance of a supply pool immediately preceding the spray grooves21B- 210. This is an important feature since, as has been found in thedevelopment of the present invention, it minimizes tendency for the tinyspray grooves 21m-210 to clog in service. A spray head which is providedwith very ne outlet grooves to break up discharged liquid into sprayswill, if not equipped with the pool-maintaining chamber, eventually clogin intermittent service even though the sprayed liquid be tap water.Fine particles of foreign matter and even dissolved salts and mineralswill build up deposits on the groove or outlet passage walls as themoisture in the grooves or outlet passages is permitted to evaporate anddry away between discharge spurts or pulses, when liquid is fed to thespray head intermittently as pulses with intervening rest intervals ofappreciable duration. The supply pool keeps the grooves or outletpassages moist( or wetted tending to eliminate or minimize such cloggingbuild-up of deposits.

In the embodiment shown by way of example in the drawing the supplyconduit 44 is shown let into the side of the head 259 below the outletgrooves 210-210 and thus, if pressure on the liquid in the conduit isrelieved between pulses of supply, conditions may obtain tending tolower the surface of the supply pool in chamber 261 to below the inletends of the grooves. However, vapors of the liquid in chamber 261 andcreepage of moisture along the chamber Walls will tend to keep theoutlet grooves moist, particularly during short non-delivery intervalsbetween rather frequent supply pulses. Further, for services whererather long rest intervals may intervene supply pulses the wettingfunction of the supply pool in head chamber 261 may be enhanced byprovision of a check valve in supply conduit 44 or the formation of aloop bend in the latter having the top thereof at an elevation at leastas high as outlet grooves 21B-210, where the supply means is lower thanthe spray head.

The shield or ring 265 assures that substantially all liquid deliveredin the form of a spray from the spray head 259 will pass down throughhole 251 into the loose mass 255 in cartridge 25|. When suction isapplied .to outlet hole 256 in the back panel 248 of the hood, aircurrents will be drawn through louvered openings at 45-45 up throughcartridge 25| there to pick up vapors of the liquid sprayed into themass." As the liquid is sprayed down into the excelsior mass 255 it isbrought into intimate contact with the upwardly passing air to assureeilicient diffusion of vapors into the air. With proper care a densityof the packed mass of excelsior 255 may be attained which permitssufficient passage of air therethrough while retarding downward passageof the liquid, so as to avoid wasteful dripping. If, however, the rateof delivery of the liquid to the vaporizing cartridge 25| should happento be more rapid than the rate at which it can be converted to vapor andpicked up as such by upwardly passing currents of air,l anyconsequential dripping may be eciently collected in the bottom 249 ofthe hood 43 which together with the side walls 243, 243, bottom portionsof front wall 246 and back wall 248, forms a collecting pan. This panmay be suitably connected to a discharge pipe which may conduct theexcess liquid back to supply, if desired.

Flow of air currents, through the louvers 45-45 into the hood 42, downto the bottom of openended cylindrical casing or tube 254, up throughthe cylinder-contained loosely packed mass 255, and through hole 251 andsplatter ring 258 to outlet aperture 250, is indicated by arrows in Fig.4. In that gure, it is shown that in the preferred form, the open bottomend of cylindrical tube 254 of cartridge is preferably positioned, byresting upon lugs 253-253 of supporting clips 252, 252, substantiallyopposite the louvered openings 45-45 third from the top down, sincev inthat gure in any one set of four louvers in a vertical bank, the topfirst and the third from the top down are shown, with the second andfourth from the top being omitted for purposes of clarity and accuracyin disclosure.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among others madeapparent in the preceding description, are eiiiciently attained and,since certain changes may be made in the above construction anddifferent embodiments of the invention could be made without departingfrom the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in theabove description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended tocover all of the generic and specic features of the invention hereindescribed, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as amatter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. A vaporizer comprising, in combination, a hollow casing, partitionmeans dividing said casing into upper and lower compartments and havingan aperture therein for passage of gaseous medium, said casing havinginlet and outlet openings for passage of gaseous medium with onecommunicating with the upper compartment and the other communicatingwith the lower compartment and an access opening in one side of saidcasing leading to the lower compartment, door means to close the accessopening, support means mounted on the inside of said door means, aporous mass of material having tortuous passages extending therethroughdened by surfaces of extended area, means removably to support said masson said support means beneath and substantially extending across theaperture in said partition means, conduit means to Iconvey liquid underpressure to within the upper compartment, and spraying means connectedto said conduit means and mounted in the upper compartment above theaperture to spray liquid down on said mass.

2. A vaporizer comprising, in combination, a hollow casing, partitionmeans dividing said casing into upper and lower compartments and havingan aperture therein for passage of gaseous medium, said casing havinginlet and outlet openings for passage of gaseous medium with onecommunicating with the upper compartment and the other communicatingwith the lower compartment and an access opening in one side of saidcasing leading to the lower compartment, door means to close the accessopening, support means mounted on the inside of said door means, aporous mass of material having tortuous passages extending therethroughdened by surfaces of extended area, a tube open at both ends and holdingsaid mass therein in loosely packed condition, said tube beingdetachably received by said support means removably to support said massbeneath and substantially extending across the aperture in saidpartition means with the tube serving to direct through said masssubstantially all of the currents of gaseous medium passing through theaperture, conduit means to convey liquid under pressure to Within theupper compartment, and spraying means connected to said conduit meansand mounted in the upper compartment above the aperture to spray liquiddown on said mass.

3. A vaporizer comprising, in combination, a hollow casing, partitionmeans transversely dividing said casing into upper and lowercompartments and having an aperture therein for passage of gaseousmedium, said casing having an inlet opening in a wall of the lowercompartment and an outlet opening in a wall of the upper compartment forpassage of gaseous medium into and out of the casing and an accessopening in one side of the lower compartment, door means to close theaccess opening, clip means mounted on the inside of said door means, atubular shell open at both ends removably supported by said clip means,a porous mass of material having tortuous passages extendingtherethrough defined by surfaces of extended area loosely packed intosaid tubular shell to form a cartridge, said tubular cartridge beingdetachably supported in the lower compartment by sad door means whenclosed and in a position beneath and substantially extending across theaperture in said partition means with the shell serving to directthrough the tortuous passages in said mass substantially all of thecurrents of gaseous medium passing up from the lower compartment throughthe aperture to the upper compartment, conduit means to convey liquidunder pressure to within the upper compartment, and spraying meansconnected to said conduit means and mounted in the upper compartmentabove the aperture to spray liquid down on said mass.

FURMAN S. ABBOI'I'.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 489,450 Bentley Jan. 10, 18931,543,760 Fondrey June 30, 1925 2,095,539 Bechowsky Oct. 12, 1937 42,130,810 Munz Sept. 30, 1938 2,262,384 Cooper Nov. 11, 1941 2,343,804Salemme Mar. 7, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 134,256 GreatBritain Oct. 27, 1919

